From hunting to jousting, Henry VIII liked to stay active in his youth.
The Ventian Ambassador, was an obvious fan of Henry’s robust athleticism and physique.
Watching the 28-year-old king play tennis in 1519, he gushed…
“It was the prettiest thing in the world to see him
play.
His fair skin glowing through a shirt of the finest
texture.”
One of Henry’s favourite ways to stay fit and active, was dancing.
He presided over a court, where music and dancing, were relished.
Henry didn’t just enjoy dancing, he appeared to be good at it, too.
The Ambassador from Milan, (another fan) observed that the young king “leaps like a stag” while dancing.
Dancing well was another way that Henry liked to perform the role of a strong, refined royal.
Tennis, an indoor sport known as “Real Tennis” was another of Henry’s favourite sports.
Henry enjoyed it so much, his palace at Hampton Court even had a Tennis Court.
In 1527, the 36-year-old king injured his foot while playing Teal Tennis.
The injury was severe enough to slow him down for about a month.
One of Henry VIII’s diplomatic victories as a young man, was smoothing over tensions with France in 1520.
In a spirit of goodwill, Henry met French King Francis I at the ‘Field of the cloth of Gold’ conference in Calais.
Here, there was business and merry-making in equal measure.
Henry’s competitive streak got the better of him, and he challenged King Francis to a wrestling match.
The match was so intense that the French king broke his nose!
Much to Henry’s annoyance, Francis went on to win the match.
Henry was an expert jouster, and a formidable opponent, but Jousting could be a lethal sport……
In January 1536, the King fell from his horse, and sustained significant injuries that troubled him for the rest of his life.
As the 44-year-old lunged forward, he fell from his horse and found himself trapped beneath the animal.
Henry was rendered unconscious, and sustained traumatic injuries.
Over the next ten years, the once-charming monarch, who was noted for his chivalry – transformed into an increasingly sickly, temperamental and tyrannical man.
Moreover, the physical injuries Henry sustained through his many jousting accidents over the years, may have also contributed to his sedentary lifestyle, and weight gain.
Henry is remembered as an obese and cruel monarch, but when young, Henry seemed like a different person entirely.
Healthy, courtly, and active, he was the ideal king.
In mid-life, however, that all changed – and researchers are still trying to understand why and how……..
👑 Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII in ‘ The Tudors’
